53°49′01″N 3°03′00″W / 53.817°N 3.050°W
 The grand hall (c.2012) | |
 | |
| Former names | Stardust Garden (1970-74) |
|---|---|
| Address | 97 Church St Blackpool FY1 1HL England |
| Location | Winter Gardens |
| Owner | Blackpool Council |
| Capacity | 3,000 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1894 |
| Opened | August 1896 |
| Renovated | 1934 |
| Architect | Manghall and Littlewood |
| Structural engineer | Widnes Foundry Company |
| General contractor | Whitehead and Son |
The Empress Ballroom is an entertainment venue in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It is located within the Winter Gardens, a large entertainment complex in the town centre.[1]
As part of the Winter Gardens, the ballroom is a Grade II* Listed Building.[2] It is operated by Crown Leisure Ltd, on behalf of Blackpool Council, who purchased the property from Leisure Parcs Ltd as part of a £40 million deal in 2010.[3]
It hosts a variety of events including conferences, concerts, dance and darts competitions as well as trade fairs, and for the first time (in August 2018) the British Beard & Moustache Championships. It has hosted the main annual conferences for all three major British political parties: the Conservative Party Conference, Labour Party Conference and the twice-annual Liberal Democrat Conference, as well as those of a number of trade unions.
- ^ "Empress Ballroom". Blackpool: Leisure Parcs Ltd. 2008. Archived from the original on 9 January 2010. Retrieved 6 December 2009.
- ^ "Listed Buildings in Blackpool". Blackpool Civic Trust. Retrieved 5 December 2009.
- ^ "Blackpool Tower to be sold as resort embarks on £40m development". The Times. 31 March 2010. Archived from the original on 29 May 2010. Retrieved 21 March 2011.